Ace Combat Zero - Birth of a Legend
by DemonLordGalm
Summary: 1995...four years before the fall of Ulysses...and the world is in peril. A war has sparked that would engulf the world...The Belkan War. And in that war, a warrior would be born, his skills superior to everyone around him, yet he is humble and cares for his friends and allies. See where it all started. Witness...the birth of a legend. CHAPTER 6 UPLOADED. Rated M
1. Prologue

A/N Hey guys! Its me again, and welcome back to another installment of Ace Combat! Like that epilogue at the end of the last story? Hehe, I've already got some of that future story planned out. (I changed some of the dates in this story because i needed to for story purposes). Let us begin, shall we?

Prologue

- Near a Disputed Border -

- August 25th, 2005 -

"Oh him? Yeah, I know him. It's going to take a while...it happened years ago." spoke the man as he leaned up on his assault rifle while sitting in the cheap metal chair, facing another man and a camera on a tripod.

He had some tobacco in his mouth, softly chewing on it between sentences while his hand hung off the clip of the assault rifle. A pair of dog tags hung around his neck inscribed with the initials L.F.

"Did you know...there are three kinds of aces?" he asked again before he held his hand up and counted them off with his fingers.

"Those who seek strength. Those who live for pride. And those who can read the tide of battle. Those are the three." he listed before he smirked and gnashed on the tobacco again.

"And him...he was a true ace." he spoke with a small nod before he looked away from the camera, the second man starting to speak into a microphone he had in his left hand, its cable connected to the camera.

He was a fighter pilot called by the name of "Solo Wing Pixy". He was a colleague of the man I seek.

Ten years ago, there was a war that engulfed the world. The Belkan War. And in that war was a pilot who trailed across the sky, and disappeared from history. He was a lone mercenary who inspired both fear and admiration.

He was the man I seek.

And so...with the words of "Solo Wing", the curtain rises.

"It was a cold and snowy day…"


	2. Glacial Skies

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen! This is going to be a fun, since this is my favorite Ace Combat game ever, the second being a tie between Infinity and AC5. This is where it all began, let's see how Cipher first started out as a rookie pilot.

Chapter 1 - Glacial Skies

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

- Valais Air Force Base, Republic of Ustio -

- 020'04'08"N 239'31'24"E -

- April 2nd, 1995 1300 hrs -

"Listen up! We have a situation on our hands. A major squadron of Belkan bombers has crossed our border and is making its way here, to Valais Air Force Base. Apparently, they intend to attack our base in an initiative to gain hegemony over the entire Republic of Ustio. Valais Air Force Base is our country's last line of defence. If our base falls, no one will be left to stop Belka from taking over Ustio. Your mission is to destroy the squad of bombers and defend our base. Belka's invasion must end here."

Multiple pilots sprang from the chairs and left the briefing room as soon as the base commander finished the briefing, eager to earn the day's pay.

All of them were mercenaries, drafted to fill up the gaping holes in the small Republic's air force after most of it was wiped out by their enemy, the legendary Belkan Air Force. This was but a small testamrnt of the power their enemy had. Even the super power of Osea, whose forces outnumbered Belka's ten to one, fell before the might of the B.A.F.

None of them would never guess that a bunch of lowly mercenaries would become this country's finest, especially two among them. One was a Belkan mercenary renowned across the Osean Continent. And the other..._he_ would later find out he held the power to change the war. Those two...would change everything.

Everything.

**- GALM -**

**Ustio Air Force**

**6th Air Division, 66th Tactical Fighter Squadron**

"It's starting to come down." spoke one of the pilots from his F-15C Eagle as he and his wingman flew over the white capped Tyrann Mountain range of Ustio, a couple of other squadrons flying right behind them.

His jet was pale white in color across his entire fighter except the right wing, which was painted blood red. This was the mercenary Larry Foulke, also known as "Solo Wing Pixy", for completing a mission and for successfully returning to base and landing his plane safely all with only one wing after the other had been blown off. Or on some occasions he he went simply by "Pixy".

The other though was an enigma. No one knew where he came from or who he really was. He just showed up unexpectedly and joined the ranks of mercenaries put into the Ustio 6th Air Division. Those two specifically were formed into the 66th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Galm", their symbol being a hellish looking devil dog with blood red fur, sharp teeth, a spiked collar and a flaming tail.

He flew an F-15C Eagle as well but with a white body and blue tipped wings, vertical stabilizers and horizontal stabilizers.

He was simply known by his call sign, "Cipher".

"This is Base Command. Guess all you boys managed to get up." reported Valais Air Force Base over their radios, the two mercenaries chuckling a little.

"We may be mercenaries but we can still fly a plane just like one of you military men." spoke Cipher jokingly.

"Galm 1, Galm 2, maintain present course." spoke Base Command, ignoring Cipher's joke.

"This is Galm 2, roger that." replied Larry nonchalantly as he rolled his eyes.

That's when the division's AWACS decided to make his debut, speaking in an organized and an all business attitude to the scrambled Ustio fighters.

"Bearing 315, Belkan Bombers approaching."

"Nobody wants to bail out into a mountain of ice. We're counting on you flight leader." spoke Larry up to their AWACS, receiving a curt chuckle.

"All units, prepare to intercept." spoke Base Command.

"You'd better have our pay ready and waiting, I'm itching to line my pockets with greenbacks." said Cipher eagerly as they changed course to the directed vector via their HUDs, taking them straight towards an intercept point with the enemy bombers.

"That's only if we both make it through this alive."

"Be ready to pay up. We'll be back before you know it." smirked Larry before the enemy bomber squadron appeared on their radars, protected by a decently sized squadron of fighters.

Easy pickings.

"Galm Team, shoot down all enemy bombers. Don't let them get to our base."

"This is Galm 1, roger. Hey Pixy, let's wreak some havoc." replied Cipher before he allowed Larry to break off to engage freely.

"Roger that. All those too scared to fly should go back to base and wait patiently with their tail between their legs." said Larry with a grin as he spun around and prepared to get his first kill of the day.

"You know, I've heard stories about you Cipher. That pride's gonna get you killed you know." said one of the other mercenaries flying with them.

Cipher merely grinned as he did a barrel roll while simultaneously arming some XLAAs.

"Bah, I think nothing of it. Try telling that to the last squadron that tried to screw with me and my friends." said Cipher, the memory of the pilot single handedly shooting down a eight man squadron, undergunned and outmatched, returning to their minds. He was instantly granted the status of ace after that feat.

What's ironic about it was that was his first combat mission, a simple reconnaissance flight turned dogfight to the death when a squadron of twelve Belkan fighters fell upon him and Pixy, the only two pilots assigned to that mission. Let's just say they were the only ones who survived that little encounter.

"Enemy squadron in sight. Engage." ordered AWACs, Cipher smirking before he braked a little then swung left to go straight at the incoming enemy air squadron, Pixy and the other mercenaries right behind him.

"Larry, you're free to engage, special weapons permitted. Let's show these Belkan bastards who's in control of these skies."

"Roger that Cipher!" said Larry with a grin as the first couple of bombers and fighters appeared on their HUDs.

Cipher swung his plane upside down a fired two missiles straight at the first two bombers of the Belkan formation, the pilots trying to maneuver out of the way at the very last second. But alas, their BM-335 Bombers were consumed in fire as the missiles struck their fuselages and exploded. Larry swung around their burning carcasses and sent a burst of gunfire at a Belkan fighter who was close by and strafed its wing.

"Bag 'em!" said Cipher when Larry blew past the Belkan and spun himself around to shoot down the fighter, the two mercenaries scoring the first kills of the entire operation.

"That bomber looks ancient." said one of the other mercenaries when they joined Galm and looked down to see the falling metal frame of the bomber.

"Looks like Galm's gonna steal the show again."

"Only because you allow us too." said Cipher with a snicker as they sped away from their allies to go after a new set of kills.

"This is Otto 5. IFF is out of commission, we're unable to carry out duty. Withdrawing from operation airspace." reported one of the Belkan bombers up ahead before it started to turn away from its flight to head back to Belka.

"One of the bombers has left the battlefront. He must've chickened out."

"Let's shoot him down."

"Ah let him be. Focus on the mission at hand." said Cipher casually as he downed a Belkan fighter trying to pursue him.

"Damn, those Belkan bastards have the guts to try and finish us off with a bunch of ancient bombers and some F-5Es? That's just plain rude to be honest." said Larry as some gunfire from one of the bombers swept past him, the unfortunate bomber paying for the action soon after when he obliterated its wing with single missile.

"I'm gonna earn every last penny being offered for today's mission." said a mercenary as he shot down a Belkan F-5E then moved on to the next.

"Not today gentlemen. I'm claiming the most money today! Fox three!" laughed Cipher as he let loose three XLAAs and smirked when they hit their marks, three bombers breaking apart and going down in flames.

"Stay close to the bombers. Don't stray from their sides." ordered a Belkan pilot as their remaining fighter jets returned to their bomber's flank to guard them.

"Those escort fighters are well trained. They're not taking the bait." said a mercenary from his squadron, who were trying to bait the Belkan fighters away from their bombers so they could pick them off one by one.

"They're only Belkans, nothing to get too nervous about." said Larry with a smirk.

"I know right? These guys are easy pickings." said Cipher with a grin as he picked off an escort fighter before setting his eyes on another bomber.

His grin disappeared when the bomber was engulfed in flames and Larry flew past him, laughter echoing out from his end of the radio.

"Gotta step up your game if you wanna get top ace today!" he said, sparking a fire inside Cipher that sent him straight into the zone.

"Alright then Pixy. Bring it!" he said eagerly as he sped after his wingman and blew past him, making short work of the two fighters Larry was planning to shoot down.

"Fighter on our tail! Gun him down!" ordered a bomber pilot as its tail-gunners started to blanket the skies with bullets, Cipher chuckling as he weaved through the storm effortlessly before he dove down at the bomber.

He strafed it's right wing with his gun and swerved away as the bullets ripped the wing right off the fuselage, the metal frame falling past Cipher's cockpit as he swerved away from the bomber and fired two missiles into the belly of another flying close by, the BM-335 erupting into flames.

"Send those Belkans running back to their own country!"

"Come on Cipher, leave some for the rest of us!" complained one of the mercenaries as Cipher slaughtered the enemy bombers and fighters that got in his way, Larry just trying to keep up in his chaos inducing course through the enemy squadron.

"Three bombers left. Take 'em out!" ordered Eagle Eye as the mercenaries swarmed the remaining planes, each of them trying to outdo the other and earn more money to line their pockets.

Pretty soon there was only one bomber left, and every mercenary in the air had their sights on it like a pack of wolves eyeing their next meal.

"It's mine!"

"I saw it first!"

A swarm of missiles lanced out from every pilot and the bomber, unfortunetly for its crew, was totally obliterated from tail to cockpit, its fuselage trailing fire and smoke.

"I think I got that one, sorry boys." said Larry as he leaned back in his flight seat after joining up with Cipher.

"Nah, I think we _all_ got him. Good god I think those Belkans shit their pants twice when they saw how many missiles were coming at them." chuckled Cipher while the other mercenaries laughed with him.

"Base Command to the Galm Team. The enemy attack unit has been successfully intercepted. I'd like to see how those Belkan cowards report back to their superiors."

"Hey Cipher." called out Larry as he and Cipher turned towards the direction of Valais Air Base to lead their mercenary friends back home.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I think you and I are gonna get along just fine...Buddy." said Larry with a smile while Cipher mulled over the nickname for a minute before chuckling to himself.

"Buddy...heh, yeah. Let's get back to base, Buddy."

- Valais Air Force Base -

- 020'04'08"N 239'31'24"E -

- April 2nd, 1995 1330 hrs -

"Galm Team you have permission to land." spoke the control tower as Cipher and Larry lowered their landing gear and approached the airbase stationed in the Tyrann Mountains in northern Ustio.

'It all started on that snowy day. My first impression was...he had potential.'

"Drinks are on me tonight boys! To the bar!" announced Cipher as he leaped out of his fighter and sprinted towards the main building of the fairly large airbase.

Larry watched and chuckled as the other Ustio mercenaries ran after him, a grin staying constantly on his face before he shrugged and joined in on the mad dash towards the bar.

"What do you think sir?" asked the Base Commander to a man standing beside him as they watched the mercenaries go for the bar to enjoy themselves after a successful mission.

"Those two...who are they?" asked the man about the two mercenaries who stood out above the rest.

"That's the Galm Team sir, Larry Foulke and Cipher." said the Base Commander as he glanced at him.

"Is there something wrong Mr. Hibrachen?"

Hibrachen crossed his arms over his black coat and suit and tie, thinking for a second as he watched Cipher's and Larry's F-15Cs get towed towards one of the base's hangars and shook his head.

"No...but I think those two, no...all of them...are going to become our greatest assets in this war."

- Thanks to you, Belka's attack on Valais Air Base has failed, allowing us to breath easy for a short while. Your efforts will not go unrewarded. Your actions may very well decide who wins the Belkan War. I, for one, will be counting on you.

'The Belkan War is shrouded in mystery. But now, a decade after the peace accords, a portion of the records was finally released. I quickly got ahold of it. Wanting more details, I acquired information from unknown sources. There was a reason for my obsession. The roots of the war lie in the Belkan federal law review that took place in 1988. Belka, suffering from economic strife, permitted its eastern territory to secede...and the Republic of Ustio was born. But Belka's economic troubles did not subside. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the situation, the world superpower Osea continued to flourish. Amidst the economic panic, an extreme right wing party took power within Belka, aiming to restore strength and stability to the nation. And on March 25th, 1995, with the discovery of natural resources in Ustio, Belka began to invade its neighbors. It was the beginning of the Belkan War.'

**ACE COMBAT ZERO - BIRTH OF A LEGEND**

'Unprepared, each country fell quickly before the might of the legendary Belkan Air Force. In just a few days, they occupied all territories except for the mountain range. In response, the occupied Ustio government military, placed all their hopes on a join operation between Osea, Sapin, and foreign mercenary forces. This of course can be found in any history book. But I noticed a strange similarity in the materials I gathered. There were several accounts about a mercenary, all followed by the nickname "Demon Lord". But most of the information was incomplete. Still, I was intrigued. I decided to pursue the history of the Belkan War though this mercenary. I was certain I would find something there. Would it be the hidden truth behind the war? Or just another battlefield legend? I wasn't able to meet the mercenary himself. Actually, it's questionable if he ever did exist. But thanks to some old friends in the military, I was able to track down several individuals who knew him. "Solo Wing" is one such man.


	3. Annex

A/N And so begins the Belkan War. Just a reminder for those who do not know or if you do, since he was a minor character near the end of my Ace Combat 5 fanfiction (Retribution of a Demon), Hibrachen is Maxwell Hibrachen, the current President of Ustio during that time and during the Circum-Pacific War.

Chapter 2 - Annex

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

Cipher and Larry were the first to enter the briefing room after their training flight just minutes before. They took seats by one another on the right side of the table and waited with the Base Commander, who was going to brief them yet again for today's mission, for the rest of the mercenaries to show up.

After a few minutes, the others appeared and they all took their seats as the room darkened and the Base Commander powered up their briefing software, made by Axe & Hammer Precisions Instrument Industry.

"We must regain control over Route 171, which runs through Arlon, to secure a transit route for our ground troops. There are bridges along this route, three over the Aare River. All heavily guarded by the Belkan Armored Corps. Securing this route is critical to Ustio's attack on the Belkan Forces."

"Are we the only forces being sent on this mission?" asked Cipher with the raise of a hand, the Base Commander replying with a nod.

"Correct. Destroy the Belkan ground units blocking passage along this route and secure this supply line between our forces and the Osean and Sapinish Armies. Whoever gets the most kills of course will be rewarded with a bonus. Dismissed."

They exited the briefing room and they hustled out of the base, laughing and pushing eachother around as they went for their fighters to try and be the first ones in the air. Cipher and Larry were the first ones and they taxied out onto the runway first, with the former being given clearance first.

"Galm 1, you are cleared for takeoff."

"Thanks CT, see you on the flip-side." said Cipher as he saluted the control tower from his cockpit before he hurtled down the runway and took off into the air, Larry coming up behind him to form their squadron.

"Galm Team, altitude restrictions cancelled. Good luck!"

- Arlon, Sapin -

- 014'47'46"N 234'27'58"E -

- April 15th, 1995 1020 hrs -

The mercenaries flew over Sapin land as they approached their targets, the Belkan armored units station on three bridges over the Aare river. Cipher and Larry, of course, was leading the pack and would be the first to find their first prey.

"This is AWACS Eagle Eye to Galm. The targets are in formation along the highway. Commence the operation."

"Roger AWACS. Alright people, let's do this by the book. We'll go from one to the next. Wyoming, go high and take out any fighters, Gizmo, you're with them. Me and Cipher will go low and take out the ground targets. Got it?" said Larry before their respective squadrons broke apart and went to their assignments.

"Got your UGBs ready Cipher?" he asked after rolling over Cipher's plane to his right side.

"Ready and waiting. Let's roast these suckers." said Cipher with a grin as the first of the targets popped up on his HUD.

"Targets are in formation along the highway. Destroy them all." spoke Eagle Eye to the mercenary pilots as the operation began.

'Dropping one!" called out Cipher as an AA gun fell into the pipper marker on his HUD.

A UGB fell from his plane and fell through the air, picking up speed every second, before it crashed down on the enemy AA gun and obliterated it.

Larry took out the SAM vehicle close by to its ally and the two continued on to the road.

"Did those fighters come from Ustio?!" sputtered a Belkan soldier before his armored personnel carrier was struck by a missile from Cipher, incinerating everyone inside.

"They must be in desperate situation. But there's no way we're giving up this place."

"Engaging enemy fighters. Bring it on you Belkan dogs!" challenged a mercenary pilot as they engaged a couple of Belkan MIG-21s above Route 171's first bridge.

"This is Ustio's lifeline. We'll get it back." said Larry as he bombed the hell out of a Belkan tank while Cipher killed two more with a bomb of his own.

"First bridge clear, move on to the next." said Eagle Eye as he confirmed their kills on radar.

"Roger." replied Cipher as he and Larry moved on to the next bridge along the winding road through the countryside in northern Sapin.

Their allies, by that time, had shot down the Belkan fighters with their superior Osean provided F-14A Tomcats and F-16C Falcons and were moving along the route with them. Halfway down the path however, Larry spotted a group of houses off the road and frowned.

"Those houses are probably full of Belkan supplies. Better not take any chances." said Larry as he armed his missiles and turned towards them.

"Let 'em go Larry. We're here to do our jobs and clear the route. Besides, from what I can tell, there are no signs of Belkan activity there." said Cipher as he lowered his altitude and speed to glide by the group of houses.

His Suspicions were justified when he spotted a small child hiding behind a crate watching him as he flew by, Cipher waving at him for a quick second before he sped back up and rejoined his wingman.

"Enemy fighters approaching. They're Phantom IIs." spoke Larry as he observed the flight of fighters on his radar.

"Let's bag 'em." said a mercenary pilot from his F-16C, eager to earn a few extra bucks.

While they handled the new Belkan fighters, Cipher and Larry began their attack run on the AA guns, SAMs, and Leopard 1 Main Battle Tanks guarding the second bridge on Route 171.

"Our first defense unit is down! All units, engage the Allied Forces!"

"Did anyone request backup? Keep trying until you get a response!"

"Bombs away!" said Cipher with a laugh as he pulled away after dropping a bomb and smirked as a group of tanks went up in flames, sealing their crews fate to a fiery tomb.

"This is Meteor 3, I've been hit. Retreating from battle." reported a Belkan pilot after his F-4E was critically hit by a mercenary, forcing him to attempt to leave the battle zone.

He wasn't that lucky.

"Get back here!" snickered a mercenary pilots as he chased down the fleeing plane and shot him down, his entire planes metal frame just shattering into millions of pieces after another missile hit.

"We're gonna get slaughtered down here!" yelled a Belkan Soldier when the tank beside his own exploded, Larry's laughter echoing from his plane as he flew over his kill with Cipher following behind by killing his tank.

The two circled back around and used another salvo of UGBs to wipe out the other enemy ground forces, the second bridge now free of Belkan occupation, which meant only one bridge remained for them to clear of any resistance.

"They're coming at us!"

"Where the hell are those reinforcements?!"

"Our second defense unit is down! How could this happen?! There's only a few enemy fighters up there!"

The remaining Belkan ground forces were in utter panic, and Cipher and Larry just smiled as they assaulted the remaining forces from above. Bomb after bomb, missile after missile, the two mercenaries attacked the Belkan positions, their SAMs and AA guns unable to lay even a single round into their plane's wings or body.

All of a sudden the radar was flooded with new targets as a seven man squadron appeared from the northwest heading straight for their position.

Reinforcements.

"There's smoke by the bridge. We're about to enter the battlezone." reported one of the wingmen from the squadron of five MIG-29 Fulcrums and two F-16XLs.

Their bodies were dark grey and green camo, and golden nose tips. From what Cipher could tell, they were a very organized Belkan squadron and would prove to be tough enemies.

"We didn't come all this way to be stopped now. Ruchs Team, break!" ordered the flight lead as the squadron broke into two groups and went after the first targets they spotted...Cipher and Larry.

"Oh that's just fantastic!" sighed Cipher irritably as he avoided a missile from one of the Fulcrums and flipped his plane around to pursue his attacker.  
>"These guys are pretty decent. Not a problem for us right Cipher?" smirked larry as he shot down one of the F-16XLs, Cipher grinning back as he got up behind his target and strafed its entire body with gunfire until he ripped off its wing, then banked right and fired a missile right into the cockpit of the last F-16XL.<p>

The other mercenary pilots watched in awe as Cipher and Larry tore into the experienced Belkan fighter squadron and shot them down in just a few short minutes. It was a perfect example that showed why Cipher and Larry had become leading figures among the Ustian mercenary pilots.

"Operation complete. Now the Allied Forces can secure a military transport route. Well done, Galm Team. Looks like luck was on your side again today, Solo Wing." said Eagle Eye casually while larry just chuckled.

"Yeah, well, I've had my fill of going home without wings." he said with a sigh as he glanced at his Eagle's red wing, a symbol to his name.

-The mission was a success. Passage along Route 171 has been secured. Thanks to you, Ustio will now be able to launch a counterattack.

"So, what do you think of it so far?" asked Cipher as he took a break from storytelling and looked down at his son, who was still sitting in his lap and was almost ready to explode with excitement.

"What happens next?" he asked with a wide smile.

"Well, we go to a very special place I'd like to call Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R...also known as the Round Table.

- Comona Islands, Southeastern Usea -

- April 4th, 2016 2030 hrs -

"How's the observational sweep going Johnson?" asked an Usean scientist as he walked with a clipboard across the top section of the large room at Riass Space Center on the Comona Islands.

"So far so good. Seems we might be right on schedule for our next satellite launch." replied Johnson, an Erusean scientist, as he continued with his deep-space scan using the Hubble Space Telescope the base had launched back in 1990.

He took a sip of his drink and glanced around at the other scientists in the room before he looked back and nearly spit it out in surprise.

He quickly typed in a few commands and looked closely at the screen for a few moments before he gasped and leaned back in his chair.

"Um...Harold? You might want to take a look at this" he asked out loud, the man with the clipboard turning back and walking over to his computer.

He looked at Johnson's computer screen for a few seconds before his expression turned into an exact match of his, his mouth agape and his eyes wide with growing terror.

"My god...it's happening again."


	4. The Round Table

A/N Now we come to Cipher's first sortie into the infamous Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R...the Round Table, where aces go to polish their skills and fight independent of their ranks. Now we shall get a proper glimpse of who Cipher *really is, and what he will eventually become. Plus I changed this chapter to where it's gonna be filled with more action. Sorry for taking so long to update this too, i was taking a break.

Chapter 3 - The Round Table

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

- Valais Air Force Base -

- April 20th, 1995 1100 hrs -

"Head operations has issued an emergency order for a reconnaissance mission to be conducted near the border. You will be monitoring the airspace B7R, currently under Belkan control. Strong opposition is expected by enemy squadrons, and the presence of a magnetic field has been detected, which may interfere with communications. In short, this will not be a walk in the park." started the Base Commander as images of B7R appeared on the screen, a red lined circle appearing to mark the airspace.

Cipher and Larry were the only two pilots in the room, the other mercenaries stationed at the base were off on other missions preparing for a future operation.

"The B7R airspace is located above an area rich in subterranean resources, where many conflicts have been fought in the past. You are authorized to engage enemy planes upon contact. The time has come for your skills to be tested." finished the Base Commander before he turned the briefing system off, Cipher and Larry glancing at one another with a doubtful expression on their face.

They left the briefing room and they walked out into the cold air of the air base, some snow still littered all over the base since last night's snowstorm up in the mountains.

"We're gonna be fighting some pretty skilled pilots over B7R. You ready for this Buddy?" asked Larry as they approached the hanger that held their fighter jets.

"We'll be fine. Larry, I have a feeling we're gonna be in for a good fight over that airspace. Let's get going."

After speaking for a few more seconds into his microphone, the man fixated his gaze on Larry once more and asked him another question.

"What is Area B7R, specifically?"

Larry looked at him for a few seconds, thinking about the question and what the best answer would be, and chuckled to hismelf while holdig his assault rifle closer.

"Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R...aka the "Round Table". It was the grand stage where we pilots performed. We were all on an equal footing, fighting under the same conditions. No affiliations or ranks to hinder us. Aces from every nation criss-crossed through those skies in pursuit of air superiority. The only rule of engagement was...to survive."

- Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R, Belka-Ustio-Osea border -

- 022'53'37"N 234'19'32"E -

- April 20th, 1995 1120 hrs -

Cipher and Larry flew in from up above into the airspace and gazed around at the craggy rocks and mountain range running through the strategic airway. The earth looked like at one point it was covered by water, so when it all dried up it looked as if a rock had struck the rock and created a ripple effect across the entire landscape. The weathered mountains also gave the impression that the area received periodic heavy rainfall from time to time.

"Man, the skies here are clearer than anywhere I've seen." marveled Cipher as he looked through the clear skies, occupied by only a few clouds scattered throughout the airspace.

"No kidding. No wonder this place is a perfect battlezone for pilots and their squadrons." replied Larry before their skygazing was interrupted by Eagle Eye.

"Galm Team, this is Eagle Eye. Penetrate B7R and get a feel for the surroundings."

"Galm 2, roger. This kind of job is what we're all about." said Larry cooley.

"Enemies on radar, exercise caution." warned Eagle Eye before he updated their radar and the two pilots gasped at the number of Belkan planes currently in Area B7R.

"Dammit!" cursed Larry.

"We gotta bag all these planes? Oi, this is gonna be a fun battle." grinned Cipher before he let Larry break away from him for a little to give the two of them room to maneuver.

"Is something wrong with the IFF? There's two aircraft showing up on the radar." spoke one of the Belkan pilots from his MIG-21 Fishbed, his two wingmen at a loss for words.

"I dunno. If they're enemies, let's bring 'em down."

"Galm Team, engage." ordered Eagle Eye as the first enemy flight approached Cipher and Larry from the front.

"We *will survive Galm 1." said Larry as they both did barrel rolls past one another and charged at the approaching enemy fighters, their F-15C Eagles superior to the Belkan Fishbeds, but the pilot's skill itself has yet to be seen.

"Fox 2!" said Cipher after locking onto a Belkan plane and fired two missiles at it.

He smirked when the Belkan skillfully maneuvered away from the missiles, even though the MIG-21 Fishbed was not a very maneuverable aircraft.  
>"These guys are professionals, don't underestimate them." said Larry as he dodged a missile from one of the Belkans then skillfully took it down.<p>

"Of course!" grinned Cipher as he showed his true colors and took down the other two Belkan planes with little effort, feat that surprised Larry and the other Belkan planes closing in on their position.

"Show them what the Belkan Air Force is capable of."

"They shot down our guide planes. I'm willing to be that was more than luck."

A flight of four F-4E Phantom IIs zoomed towards them while two more MIG-21s flanked from the right and formed a pincer-attack with the Phantoms.

"Let's get em Larry."

"Roger that Buddy!" replied Larry as the two split apart and engaged the oncoming fighters, the two mercenaries outmaneuvering the Belkan pilots and completely blowing them away, with Cipher downing four out of the six planes without even getting locked on by an enemy once.

"Galm Team, penetrate Area B7R." said Eagle Eye to Cipher and Larry, the two pilots pushing farther into Area B7R to look around some more.

"So those mountains in front of us make up the Round Table. I've heard my fair share of stories about it." said Larry as they both looked down at the mountain range beneath them, the mountains stretching from the Belkan city of Hoffnung down through B7R and back up through Belka to formed the Waldreich Mountain range dividing Nord Belka from South Belka.

All of a sudden, three groups of high-profile enemy targets appeared on radar from the northwest barreling towards them at high speeds.

"Warning! Radar shows additional craft approaching Area B7R at high speed." he informed.

"Galm 2 to Galm 1. Enemy reinforcements, probably the main force."

"You ready Larry?"

"Let's do this Cipher."

From the northwest, the gigantic group of Belkan fighters split off into three smaller groups comprised of four fighters each, one being four F/A-18C Hornets with green camo, the second being four JAS-39 Gripen Cs with purple lines painted on their wings, and the last one leading them all being four grey and red EF-2000 Typhoons. These three squadrons are among the numerous ace squadrons a part of the legendary Belkan Air Force.

**- ROT -**

**Belkan Air Force**

**2nd Air Division, 52nd Tactical Fighter Squadron.**

**- GRUN -**

**Belkan Air Force**

**10th Air Division, 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron**

**- INDIGO -**

**Belkan Air Force**

**7th Air Division, 51st Tactical Fighter Squadron**

"Report." asked the lead pilot of the four man flight of Hornets, his wingman being the one to respond.

"This is Grun 2. There's two of them."

"This is Rot 1, we'll take care of them." said the flight lead of the Typhoon squadron as his flight pulled out ahead of the other two.

"Whatever you say Detlef." said the flight lead of the Gripen C squadron before the Typhoons surged ahead of them to take on Cipher and Larry.

"Rot 1 to all craft. Time to hunt some wild dogs. Down 'em all." ordered the flight lead before they banked right and sped at Cipher and Larry, aggressively charging right at them with the utmost confidence in their skills.

"Galm Team, we cannot authorize a retreat. Intercept them." ordered Eagle Eye as the enemy Typhoons closed in on the two mercenaries, Larry sighing to himself.

"I figured you'd say that. This is gonna cost you extra."

"What do you think those other fighters are doing? They're not attacking." said Cipher as he looked at the other two squadrons hovering just off the edge of their radar, slowly circling the area to observe.

"They're probably observing their over-confident friend here. Let's show them not to mess with us, Buddy." smirked Larry as he surged forward to meet the oncoming enemy, Cipher right beside him.

"Mercenary dogs." growled Rot 1 with a vile tone in his voice as the two squadrons appeared on each other's HUDs, initiating the engagement of four against two.

"This is the Round Table. Dead men's words hold no meaning." said Larry before he dove to the right and instigated a chase with an enemy Typhoon, the highly agile aircraft managing to shake off the missiles fired at it and begin its own attack on him.

"They're flying Typhoons. Don't underestimate these guys."

"Money-hungry dogs, without an ounce of honor. Don't think you'll leave Area B7R alive." said Rot 1 again as he dodged a missile from Cipher, the two pilots chasing each other above a mountain while another Rot pilot tried to flank Cipher from behind.

"Damn, what do you have against us?" questioned Cipher as he avoided a missile from the Rot craft chasing him and he spun his plane around to strafe its wing with gunfire, crippling it.

"I have no words to say to you, mercenary dog." replied Rot 1 before Cipher scowled and shot down the Rot craft chasing him with a missile to the fuselage, the Rot pilots and their flight lead becoming shocked at the act.

Cipher went on to be on a whole other level compared to the Belkan pilots after that, the Typhoons unable to lay a scratch on him as he dodged their every attack, eventually shooting down another plane with the assistance of Larry, leaving just Rot 1 and his wingman left. Before the two could regroup however, Cipher managed to land a blow on Rot 1's plane, something that severely angered him.

"I've been hit?! That low-life mercenary."

"Detlef's actually getting beat by a couple of mercenaries?" reveled the lead Gripen C pilot from his vantage point with the other squadron of Hornets.

"Yeah. Seems we might have to step in soon." replied the other squadron leader while he made preparations within his own aircraft for battle.

After a taking a split second to rethink their strategy, Rot 1 and his wingman engaged Larry and Cipher separately, trying to work the two together to where they could instantly switch targets and attack the other without giving them any time to react. It didn't work. Rot 1 broke away from Larry and attempted to strike Cipher in his engines with a missile, but in that split second of the warning siren starting to blare and the battle instincts kicking in, he performed a maneuver so crazy that it had never been attempted before. He cut the engines almost to a crawl and pulled back on the flight stick, the plane flipping over on a dime until it was upside down, CIpher gunning it not only past the missile fired at him, but straight at Rot 1, allowing him to down the elite Belkan ace with a missile to the right wing.

"The captain's been shot down! Requesting back-up!" pleaded the remaining Rot pilot before Larry shot him down, the two other Belkan squadrons hovering outside the combat zone completely baffled by the take down of one of their most elite fighter squadrons.

"All Belkan reinforcements shot down-" started Eagle Eye before the other two squadrons raced into the combat zone and locked their sights on Cipher and Pixy, wanting to avenge their fallen squadron.

"Well then, let's have some fun." said Grun 1 to his pilots before they spread apart up high while the Gripen Cs took the low road.

"This is Indigo 1, targets spotted. Commencing attack."

"We've got more coming in! Seems we've got a squadron for each of us Larry!" said CIpher with a smirk as he set his eyes on Indigo 1 while Larry's rested on Grun 1.

"Handle their wingmen. I'm going after the flight leads." ordered Cipher before he took off, Larry shrugging as he broke away and armed several XMAA missiles for the soon to be dogfight.

"Roger."

The three squadrons converged on one another, and at first Cipher and Larry were overwhelmed by the combined power of the two Belkan ace squadrons, their missile alert sirens incessantly blaring in their ears.

"Unlike you mercenaries, I fight for a real cause. The ones who survive are those who fight for their convictions." said Indigo 1 as he went after Cipher first with his wingman, their two small yet versatile Gripen Cs hounding Cipher's F-15C to the point he almost got shot down.

"Let's take care of these mercenaries real quick Dimitri." said Grun 1 after avoiding a missile from Larry by utilizing his flares.

"These hornets are getting annoying! Don't let 'em sting you in the ass!" growled Larry before Cipher zoomed past him and helped him out by chasing after on of the Hornets and shot it down with a pair of missiles.

"Fox 3!" he yelled before he followed up with the firing of four XMAA missiles that tracked a single Gripen C and another Hornet until they collided with their bodies and turned them into flaming wrecks.

Then Larry shot down another Gripen C, reducing their numbers down 4 and to only two members of each squadron remained to fight the two mercenaries.

"Dammit! Both of 'em know what they're doing." cursed Grun 1 as the Belkan pilots stepped up their game.

"Fox 2!" said Indigo 1 as he fired a missile at Cipher once more, but the mercenary effortlessly dodged it and continued his attack on the Grun pilots while Larry switched over to Indigo.

Larry relentlessly pursued Indigo 1's wingman, twisting and turning when he banked and rolled to try and lose him, but the mercenary stayed glued to his six and when he finally got an opening, he shot a missile right up the Gripen C's ass and critically damaged it.

"Those bastards!" growled Grun 1 when he went after Larry, but his charge was cut short when Cipher got on his tail and started to pursue him.

"Ustio is holding their own in the Round Table." said Indigo 1 in respect for their enemies combat prowess in B7R, normally a place where Belkan pilots reigned supreme.

All of a sudden Cipher ditched the chase with Grun 1 and instantly went after Indigo 1, having seen the momentary drop of his guard, and had took advantage of the situation to bring down Indigo's captain. He tried to get away from Cipher but his reaction was too slow, and Cipher brought him down by shearing off his right wing with his gun, leaving only three fighters left.

"Enemy fighter confirmed down. Apparently that was their captain." informed Larry before he sweared as gunfire whooshed past the canopy of his plane, alerting him to the presence of a Grun fighter on his tail.

"Let's wrap this fight up Buddy." said Cipher with a smirk as he returned his attention to Grun 1 after bringing down the last Indigo member as it tried to escape the battle zone since its plane had been damaged by Larry.

"You got it Cipher! Fox 2!" replied Larry as he stopped his plane and let the Grun fighter blow right past him, allowing Larry to fire two missiles right into the fuselage of the Hornet and bring it down cleanly.

"The last one's mine Cipher!" he said with a laugh as the two mercenaries went after Grun 1, but every missile they fired at his plane was diverted away from him by the flares he would launch out from his plane.

Cipher though was determined and got up close to Grun 1's jet, never straying far from his backside through all the barrel-rolls, sharp turns and twists, until he noticed a small opening in his enemies maneuvers and exploited it.

When Grun 1 banked right to try and shake him off, Cipher launched a missile at that exact moment and whooped in victory when it struck home and tore the plane in two, the pilot going down with his plane until he spotted a white parachute shoot out of the cockpit.

"All Belkan reinforcements confirmed down. Mission complete. Return to base." announced Eagle Eye as the two mercenaries formed up over one of the mountains of the Round Table and turned towards the southeast for their return trip back to Ustio and their home base.

"Incoming message from Allied Forces Operations Command. "Allied naval force has begun its advance. We appreciate your work."" read off Eagle Eye, Larry rolling his eyes and sighing in disappointment.

"Looks like we were just a couple of decoys."

"Bah, I count this as a victory. I mean, the two of us, just a couple of mercenaries, brought down *three highly skilled Belkan squadrons that probably would've murdered anyone else who was sent here! Do you know what this means?" asked Cipher enthusiastically.

"What? That we outmaneuvered them beyond their expectations?" asked Larry with a smile.

"No, that we're just more badass than they are!" exclaimed Cipher before the two burst out laughing, even Eagle Eye chuckling a little at their enthusiasm.

"Heh...Yo Buddy, you still alive?" asked Larry, the saying having become his trademark moniker.

"Alive as I'll ever be Buddy." replied Cipher.

-Well done. I'll make sure Head Operations hears about how you defeated three elite squadrons of enemy Typhoons, Hornets and Gripen Cs. Things are only going to get better for you two. Keep up the good work.


	5. Offensive Campaign No 4101

A/N How'd you guys like that last chapter? I had all three ace squadrons that you could face there appear at once because like i've described before, Cipher has the traits of all three kinds of aces, a Mercenary, Soldier, and Knight ace, and we gotta have all three in there to fight him because its awesome. Now let us begin with Offensive Campaign No. 4101.

Chapter 4 - Offensive Campaign No. 4101

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

"Go long!" said Cipher as he grasped a football and aimed at Larry's hands as he ran back.

He threw the football with a perfect spiral right into his wingman's outstretched arms, grinning when Larry spiked the ball down and did a victory dance as if he had scored a touchdown.

After finishing his dance, he picked up the ball and looked at Cipher, who was looking up at the sky and the full moon.

"Yo, Buddy? You alright?" yelled Larry to him, Cipher looking back at him when he was awoken from his trance.

"Yeah...I'm fine." he replied as he motioned for Larry to throw him the football.

He lobbed it back and after re-gripping it to throw it back to him, someone called for them both from the base.

"Cipher, Larry! We've got another mission!" yelled one the other mercenaries from an open door of the main building.

"Got it! Let's go Buddy. Time to go Belkan busting." smirked Larry as he jogged towards the building with Cipher right behind him.

They made it ti the briefing with just a minute to spare and when everyone got settled in their seats, the Base Commander started to briefing.

"The Ustio, Sapin and Osea coalition forces are to launch a joint campaign. The collective strategic military force of the three armies will referred to as the "Allied Forces". The campaign will be called "Offensive Campaign No. 4101"." he began as the briefing system zoomed in on Sapin territory under Belkan control, focusing around a well known sea passage known as the Futuro Canal.

"The objective of this operation is to secure a sea transit lane for the Allied Forces. To secure this channel, the Belkan forces occupying the Futuro Canal must be cleared out. You will be given a choice of missions in this joint operation." he continued as the Belkan forces along the canal were divided into three sectors, ground units at the mouth, ground, sea and air forces at the back, and aerial forces in the center.

"Offensive Campaign No. 4101 will be comprised of the following three air missions. First, there is Operation Gelnikos. This is an air-to-air/air-to-surface operation, whose objective is to wipe out Belka's air squadron, port facilities and surface weapons." explained the Base Commander about the first sector, at the mouth of the canal.

"Next is Operation Round-Hammer. This is an air-to-surface operation, whose objective is to wipe out the Belkan naval fleet, its port facilities and surface weapons."

Cipher examined the enemy concentrations and in his mind was calculating how large of a payload he and Larry would have to carry to bring maximum devastation for each mission, depending on the on they chose of course.

"And tha last mission is called Operation Costner. this is an escort mission whose objective is to protect the naval vessels in Osea's 3rd Fleet, including its state-of-the-art aircraft carrier, which will be making a trial voyage. Fierce resistance by Belkan forces is expected in all three missions. Choose carefully which one you wish to participate in. That is all."

The Base Commander switched off the briefer and he dismissed the pilots, Larry joining Cipher for the tip to their planes.

"So which operation are we going to participate in Cipher?" he asked.

"The third one, Operation Costner, for two reasons. One, our Eagles were made for aerial combat and not for ground attack operations, and two...I have a sneaky suspicion that the real battle will be there. Who wouldn't want to get the chance to sink Osea's newest toy?" said Cipher with a grin before they entered their hangar to retrieve their planes and get ready for takeoff.

- Futuro Canal, Kingdom of Sapin -

- 014'03'23"n 231'28'19"E -

- April 24th, 1995 1140 hrs -

"Damn, that is one fine carrier!" exclaimed Cipher as he and Larry made a pass over Osea's new carrier, the OFS Kestrel, as she and her fleet approached the mouth of the Futuro Canal.

Earlier that day, confirmation had arrived from their allies of the destruction of the Belka's naval forces and port facilities in the back half of the canal. Now it was their turn, with the 3rd Fleet steaming ahead at full speed towards the canal, with Cipher, Larry and a handful of Osean pilots being the fleet's defense force.

"Eagle Eye to the Galm Team. Protect the fleet as it passes through the canal." said Eagle Eye when the fleet passed by the flaming ruins of the port facilities at the canal's entrance that had been destroyed from their forces who initiated the entire thing with Operation Gelnikos.

Then, as if on cue, a section of their radar became blurred out and opaque, Cipher knowing instantly what it was just by the sight of it. Enemy jamming.

"We've got company! Enemy forces approaching from the north under the cover of enemy jamming!" he announced as he and Larry got into their combat formation, with Larry dropping back a few feet and raising his altitude to become the "Guardian" while Cipher pulled out ahead a little and became the "Charger".

"This is Captain Weeker of the Kestrel. All ships on high alert. Do not shoot down our allies." ordered the Kestrel's captain as its escort ships, a pair of destroyers and one cruiser readied their anti-aircraft weapons.

"Guess they really don't want us to get through. Let's go." said Larry before he looked down at his radar and cursed when two more jamming interferences appeared from the left and right side, the three groups all converging on the Kestrel and her fleet.

"Larry, you focus on the left group, I'll take the right. Once we finish them off we converge on the center group and take them out." ordered Cipher before they split apart to go for their targets.

Cipher circled around the back of his group and noticed the EA-6B Prowler flying at a higher altitude above the four F-1 Kaizens it was disgusting from their radar.

"_Child's play."_ he thought with a smirk before he locked onto the four Kaizens with his XMAAs and let them loose, the Belkan pilots becoming startled when their missile alert sirens began to wail in their ears.

"Missiles incoming! Break!" warned the flight lead as they tried to swerve out of the way to dodge the missiles, but their F-1s were les than decent on maneuverability, so as a result they were all brought down at once. Cipher immediately turned his attention to the Prowler flying above and chased it down.

"Shit, they've got skilled pilots in the air! Call in the Winds of-" called out the Belkan pilot before he was cut off when Cipher shot him down.

A few seconds later, Larry's group of targets vanished off the radar, the two pilots now converging on the center group of approaching targets while the Osean pilots maintaining their position over the 3rd Fleet were amazed at their swift takedowns.

"So this is how the Ustio mercenaries fly." said one of the Osean pilots in awe.

"They're pretty good for mercenaries." said another with begrudging respect.

"The show's just getting started!" said Cipher when they reached the third group of enemies and counted out four F-16C Falcons, four Harriers, and a single EA-6B Prowler providing the jamming.

""Let's take 'em down!" laughed Larry as he dove right in and attacked the Harriers first while Cipher went after the F-16Cs.

"He's on my tails! I can't shake him off!"

"Goodbye." smirked Cipher as he brought down his target and moved on to another.

"Fourth group of enemy bogies in bound from the right. Galm Team, take them out." informed Eagle Eye when another group, without jamming interference, appeared on the radar barreling right for the carrier, Cipher glancing over his shoulder and squinting his eyes to just barely make out the outline of two AC-130 Gunships and a pair of F-16Cs.

"I've got this group larry, you head over and take out those gunships before they do some serious damage to our allies with their weapons." said Cipher as he dodged a missile from a Falcon pursuing him before pulling the Devil's Trap and taking him down easily.

"Roger that Buddy." he replied as Larry broke off from the engagement and sped towards the gunships and their two escorts, surprising them by taking out one of the gunships before baiting the Falcons to follow him.

Larry juked them both and doubled back to the second gunship and brought it down with a missile to the fuselage that detonated the ammunition within its belly and made it detonate in a massive fireball. His warning siren blared in his ear and he banked to the right to dodge a missile launched at his backside, Larry grinning as he outmaneuvered his attacker and destroyed the Belkan F-16C, then followed up by bringing down the other as well.

"Everything's clear over here!' he called out, Cipher responding by shooting down the EA-8G Prowler providing jamming coverage, revealing no other enemies in the air.

Upon the last plane's destruction, the Kestrel's fleet picked up speed and passed the halfway marker of the canal, getting closer to the end of the sea passage. All of a sudden a large group of enemy fighters appeared from the north, their leader starting to speak.

"This is Postler 1. Initiate hurricane."

"Warning, multiple jamming craft on radar!" cautioned Eagle Eye before a ring of jamming bubbles appeared on radar around the fleet, hiding the enemy as they approached the fleet while Cipher and Larry were left with fuzzy radars and deformed deformed HUDs.

"Dammit! My radar's inop!" cursed Larry before the enemy Belkan pilot spoke again.

"Winds of Futuro, engage!"

"This is Eagle Eye to the Galm Team. Be careful of sudden attacks from all sides, and the number of aircraft is unknown."

"Roger Eagle Eye. We're dealing with the Whirlwind Larry, be careful." replied Cipher as he and Larry heightened their senses for any signs of the enemy.

All of a sudden, two SU-27s rushed out of the jamming ring and assaulted the two of them from the front, two F-5Es from the right, and two Mirage 2000-Ds from the side.

"Shit!" cursed Cipher as the Flankers fell upon him in an instant, gunfire spraying past Larry was under the same pressure as him, his F-15C twisting and turning to avoid being shot down by the four fighters on his tail.

"Retreat." ordered Postler 1 before all of his aircraft retreated back into the jamming ring and out of Cipher and Larry's line of sight.

"Those jammers are a nuisance!" growled Larry in frustration.

"Stay cool Laary! I've got an idea." said Cipher calmly before the enemy pilots emerged from the ring once more to attack them, only this time they flew in from different directions and altitudes.

"Lure them towards the ships!" ordered Cipher as he quickly accelerated towards the Kestrel, Larry right beside him with the Belkan fighters on on their tails.

"Ready CIWS! Fire at anything except our allies!" ordered Captain Weeker as Cipher and Larry led the Belkans closer and closer to the Osean naval ships until they broke apart to fly around the ships as they opened fire with every weapon they had.

The Belkans flew through the incoming fire and attacks from the Osean pilots protecting the carrier, their brazen charge costing them both of their Mirages and one of the F-5E Tiger IIs.

"Both Schakal 1 and 2 are down!"

"We've lost Gabel 1!"

"Damn Ustians!" cused Postler 1 before Cipher and Larry flew down from above and attacked the Belkans, Cipher bagging the other F-5E and one Su-27, Postler 1's wingman, while Larry shot down Postler 1 himself with a single missile that shattered his left wing and ripped it clean off the fuselage.

As soon as the Belkan ace went down, the EA-6Bs forming the jamming ring around the naval force fled the airspace in a hurry, not wanting to deal with the two mercenaries that just dominated the Winds of Futuro, some of the most skilled Belkan pilots that ruled the skies of the important sea route.

"This is Captain Weeker on the Kestrel. My fleet has managed to pass through the canal, thanks to the gentlemen providing air support!"

"No problem!" said Cipher with a grin before he and Larry left the canal; as allied reinforcements arrived to take their place and joined up with their mercenary comrades out away from the canal for the flight back up to Ustio.

-Operation Costner succeeded, contributing to the overall success of Offensive Campaign No. 4101. Having passed safely through the canal, the Osean fleet marks the beginning of our nation's counterattack. Good work.

- Valais Air Force Base

- April 24th, 1995 1248 hrs -

"Oi, I could really go for something to eat right now." said Cipher hungrily as his stomach growled when he and Larry closed the door to their hangar and breathed in the fresh cool air of the Tyrann Mountains.

"You're always hungry." grinned Larry as he threw his arm around Cipher and they both laughed at the obvious truth of the statement when Cipher's stomach growled again.

"_Just a few more battles and Ustio will be free, then this war will finally be over."_ thought Larry happily as they entered the base's bar and were immediately called over to a large table occupied by their friends, eager to tell their individual stories from today's operation.

Larry's hope, however, wouldn't come true, and the brutality of the war would only worsen and worsen to the point when everything went up in a bright, white flash.

A/N

**That day our sky fe||, the heavens split to create new skies.**

- Odysseus -

"Lot of meteor dust in the air today. Hard to believe it's already been ten years, huh? And the sky's still full of that junk."

"What's that? In the sky!"

"What the hell's going on?! Somebody, answer me!"

"Holy…!"

"All Arrowblades, report!"

"Reaper, do you copy?"

"It's Odysseus part two...huh?"

"I've had my fill of this sight ten years ago...I can't believe I'm seeing it again."


	6. Flicker of Hope

A/N Sorry guys it took so long! I had to take a brain break.

Chapter 5 - Flicker of Hope

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

- Valais Air Force Base -

- May 11th, 1995 2250 hrs -

Cipher took off from the runway and flew up into the starry night sky, exhaling deeply as he relaxed his nerves and let his body be at ease for once in a very long time. Recently he had taken up this little habit of his, with taking off from the base in the dead of night and just flying over the base, watching the stars and just thinking.

He had also been seeing something peculiar and strange as well, and, to be honest...what he saw frightened him a lot.

Everytime he looked up at the moon, he could see nothing but skies filled fire, and gigantic hunks of flaming rock raining down from the heavens like it was the end of the world. That's what he was seeing right now.

He blinked and the terrifying vision ceased to exist, never to plague him again till the next night.

"_Why do I keep seeing this?_" he thought in frustration as he racked his brain for any clue, any idea as to what could be causing those horrific visions of hell on earth.

"_What if...all of this is a side effect…?_" he asked himself in curiosity before he shook his head vigorously and dismissed the idea quickly, deeming it as illogical.

He continued on with his flying and maintained his physical and mental peace, pushing back those thoughts until they reached the very far recesses of his mind. However...one word that occupied those thoughts would always find its way back out into the light, one word that was intriguing and curious, but possessed a small sense of ominous foreboding laced within...Odysseus.

- May 12th, 1995 0520 hrs -

"The mountain town of Solis Ortus is located just outside Ustio's capital, Directus. The Allied Forces will deploy airborne troops, comprised primarily of Osea's 101st Airborne Division, over Solis Ortus, in a surprise air and ground attack on the Belkan forces." began the Base Commander to the weary pilots who were aroused from their sleep for this mission at the break of dawn, Cipher being the only one fully awake.

"This operation will play a critical role in Ustio's liberation. Your mission is to provide support for the airborne troops. Destroy Belka's surface-to-air defense network and all interceptor aircraft, securing a safe drop zone for the airborne troops. Be aware of civilians still inside Solis Ortus. Your actions will determine their fate. Good luck."

"How are you already awake?" asked Larry with a yawn to Cipher after the briefing ended and the two started to walk to the door.

"I have my ways." grinned Cipher before he winked at Larry and walked out the door.

- Solis Ortus, Ustio -

- 016'52'07"N 237'16'09E -

- May12th, 1995 0550 hrs -

The sun was just starting to crest the horizon when Cipher and Larry leading a small group of Mercenaries entered Solis Ortus airspace ahead of allied C-130s carrying members of the 101st Airborne Division.

"Escort craft, this is the 101st Airborne. We're now entering the designated airspace. We can't return to base until we empty this transport. We're counting on you." spoke one of the Osean transport pilots as they appeared on radar a couple of miles behind the mercenaries.

'Roger that. We'll clean house for you guys." said Cipher as he split up his force into three groups of two.

"We'll be counting on it."

One group, Larry and Cipher, would clear out the first section of the town while the two other groups would destroy any Belkan anti-air units in the other sections. And judging from the amount of units in each section, this operation was gonna be walk in the park.

"First, attack any anti-air troops positioned at our parachute unit's crop destination. You can worry about any fighters afterwards." ordered Eagle Eye as Cipher and larry began their attack on the SAM units stationed in a ring around their section of Solis Ortus.

"Get your asses into gear people! You've gotta jump or you're of no value to this unit! Anyone showing weakness will be left behind!"

The first group of allied transports, with their bellies full of Osean airborne troops, got closer to Solis Ortus just as Cipher destroyed the last SAM unit and moved on to the AA units stationed within the city itself.

"Use that anger to get fired up and take 'em out! Understood? Go get 'em!"

"We're the best! We're the best!"

Just as Larry destroyed the last AA gun, positioned in the center of a courtyard, the C-130's carrying the first wave flew over the first section of the town and airborne troops began to fill the skies above Solis Ortus, their white parachutes glistening in the morning sunlight.

"Move! Move! Move! Don't stop to think! Just keep moving!" yelled an airborne troop as gunfire blended in with the sound of his voice, the Belkan and Osean soldiers clashing and waging a ground war within the city from block to block.

"They are a brave bunch of soldiers, I'll give them that." said Larry in respect of the Oseans as the two other sections of Solis Ortus became infested with Osean troops.

"This place is a beautiful little town to live in too. It's a shame they've been dragged into this war." said Cipher as he observed the small town from above.

"Yeah, I know. I think I might actually settle down here when my time's done in the air." replied Larry.

"That won't be for a very long time I hope, Buddy." chuckled Cipher in response.

"Meet up with Company 4 in sector F-4. You got a map?"

"The fighting's the heaviest in sector F-7, send them some back-up!"

"Belkan fighters confirmed on radar. Galm Team, destroy them." informed Eagle Eye as new enemy targets appeared on radar.

"Roger AWACs. Larry, special weapons permitted." said Cipher calmly as he spotted the Belkan fighters on radar and turned his plane towards them.

"There's still a lot of soldiers up in the air! How many could've dropped to the ground?" questioned a Belkan soldier frantically as the tide of battle began to turn towards the favor of the Osean airborne troops.

Cipher and Larry joined up with their mercenary allies already fighting Belkan fighters, comprised of F-16Cs and F-15C Eagles, and set their sights on their targets.

"There's only two Eagle pilots allowed to fly these skies, and that's us!" said Cipher with a laugh as they flew right into the scuffle and shot down two of the Belkan fighters almost instantly.

"Sector F-3 has more enemy forces than expected. Once we meet up with Company 4 we'll initiate the attack." said an Airborne soldier when one section of Solis Ortus was liberated, the Oseans moving in on the other portions to free them from Belkan control.

"Our ground forces are getting annihilated! Someone help them for god's sake!"

"Heads up! Enemy formation of ground attack aircraft en-route to our allies." said Eagle Eye as four new targets popped up on radar approaching the city from the northwest.

"I'll handle them." said Cipher before anyone could object and disengaged from the fight to gun it full speed towards the new enemy formation of Belkan fighters.

"They're Warthogs. This'll be easy." he said with a smirk as he spotted the four A-10s flying in formation towards the epicenter of Solis Ortus, where at this moment that was where the heaviest concentration of OSean airborne troops were.

"Fox 3!' he said before three XMAA missiles lanced out from his Eagle and in a split second one A-10 had its wing ripped right off, one was engulfed in flames and the other's body was torn in two with flames spewing out from within.

Before the other two could escape, and he highly doubted that they could due to the Thunderbolt's extremely low top speed, Cipher shot holes through the first of the two until he finally managed to hit the cockpit, then fired a missile right into the left engine of the second, setting it ablaze as it free-fell towards the earth.

"We're engaging the enemy in sector B-6! It's no good! They're driving us out!' yelled a Belkan soldier before his voice was cut off and became overwhelmed by gunfire and the sound of troops being given orders.

"The operation is going just as planned. Shoot down the remaining enemy fighters and lets wrap this up." said Eagle Eye, Cipher now madly speeding towards Larry and the others to try and gain one final kill for the day.

His hope was crushed when Larry shot down the final Belkan fighter right when he had gotten within range for him to fire a missile, and he showed his discontent and sadness loud and clear.

"Aw…! Dammit!" he whined as he flew by Larry at full speed, Larry just laughing his ass off in triumph.

"Maybe next time Cipher, we've gotta make money too sometimes." said one of the other mercenaries with a chuckle.

"Incoming message from Operations Command. "Airlift operations was a success." All enemy forces near Solis Ortus have been eliminated. The rest is up to the ground forces. Galm Team, mission complete. Return to base." reported Eagle Eye cooly, Cipher and Larry leading the mercenaries out of Solis Ortus airspace while the battle continued to wage down in the city streets.

Later that day after they had successfully landed and had stowed away their planes in their hangar, Larry snuck up behind Cipher and threw his arm around his shoulder, making him jump as Larry directed him towards the building that held the base's bar.

"It's almost over Buddy. Next stop is the capital of Ustio, Directus." he said optimistically with a little pep in his step.

"Yeah, I know. To be honest, I'm gonna miss this little country when we leave. I've grown quite fond of it." replied Cipher regretfully.

"Same here. But you know the deal with mercenaries like us. Once we've done our bojs, they don't care about us anymore." said Larry with a sigh, Cipher nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. Oh a mercenaries life for us."

"Yo ho, yo ho." snickered Larry, the two friends laughing.

- Operation Varsity succeeded. Ground troops are now en-route to Solis Ortus. It won't be long now before Ustio is liberated.

"I think we should take a break right now. Daddy needs a drink." said Cipher in a worn out voice as he set his son down onto his feet from his lap while receiving a pouty look.

"Aww! But why?" he whined as Cipher went into the kitchen to retrieve a beer then sit back down in his recliner with a soft thump.

"Sorry kiddo, we'll continue the story tomorrow."

"Fine…" said his son with a huff before he stormed off with his arms crossed, Cipher smirking at the stubbornness he had inherited from him.

"_He's definitely mine…_" he thought before he grabbed a remote and switched on the T.V, clicking the buttons to flip through the channels until he got to the sports channel.

A/N

_That day our sky fe||, the heavens split to create new skies._

_Oblivion_

Prologue

1 - Lost Butterfly

2 - Great Migration

3 - Rescue

4 - ^-

5 - Far Eastern Front

6 - Training

7 - ^- - Night Assault

8 - ^- - -

9 - Avalon

10 - Resurgence of the Butterfly Master

11 - Counterattack

12 - Invictus (Part 1)

13 - Fall of ^-

14 - Liberation of ^-

15 - Battle of the Giants

16 - Search and Destroy

17 - Crossing the Border

18 - The Betrayal

19 - Night Raid

20 - The Might of the Ustio Air Force

21 - Siege of ^-

22 - Weapons Base Destruction

23 - Freeing the ^- - -

24 - Launch of the ^- -

25 - ^- - -

26 - ^-

27 - ^- Mimicry

28 - ^-.-.-

29 - Crucible of Fire

30 - The ^- and the ^- -

31 - Operation: ^- -

32 - ^-

33 - Shattered Skies

34 - ^- -

35 - The Black Angel of Death

36 - Invictus (Part 2)

37 - ^-

38 - Oblivion

39 - The Ace of Aces

40 - New Skies

41 - ^- - -

Epilogue


	7. Diapason

N Alright, here's when the Belkan War, in Larry and Cipher's eyes, will finally end with the liberation of the Republic of Ustio's capital of Directus. They never would've suspected that this conflict would only grow even worse. (Fun Fact - "Diapason means "a grand swelling burst of harmony", which would make sense due to the fact that after Directus was liberated, the citizens cheered and celebrated)

Chapter 6 - Diapason

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

- April 5th, 2016 0900 hrs -

Cipher's eyes fluttered and he yawned before he caught sight of someone standing in the doorway and nearly jumped out of the bed with a yelp. When his vision adjusted, he gave a sigh of relief when he saw it was only his son standing eagerly in the doorway to listen to the rest of his story with the biggest smile on his face.

"Alright, alright, let me wake up first. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute Jasper." said Cipher with a chuckle as he hoisted himself out of bed while his son, Jasper, ran out of the room, Cipher chuckling again as he he heard the thumping of his feet as he ran down the stairs.

He shuffled into the bathroom and yawned agaiin while he went for his toothbrush and toothpaste, intending to brush hiWs teeth first. After he squirted out the paste onto the brush and lifted it up to his teeth, he made direct eye contact with a picture taped to the mirror and felt his heart tighten. It was Liz, smiling without a care in the world on the beach there in the coastal town of Anfang. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday...it was their anniversary. And it was the time when he came back from the Estovakian Civil War on break for the holidays.

He sighed deeply as he sucked down his sadness and continued on with his daily routine, brushing his teeth, taking a shower, and getting dressed.

He walked down the stairs and was instantly hounded by Jasper who almost grasped onto his leg and started to drag him towards the living room.

"Whoa, calm down there Buddy! I'm going, I'm going!" he laughed as he walked over to his recliner and sat down, Jasper climbing up onto the edge of his seat and plopping himself down there to listen.

"Where was I…? Oh, right! Operation: Constantine...the liberation of the capital of Directus…" he said before he continued his story.

- Valais Air Force Base -

- May 13th, 1995 1600 hrs -

"Today's the day!" yelled Larry in excitement as he bounded towards Cipher, who was currently standing outside their hangar with what seemed to be smoke emerging from his lips.

As he got closer, his belief that it was in fact ihs breath escaping from his mouth being visible due to the cold temperatures in the Tyrann Mountains, but Cipher actually had a cigarette in his mouth.

"I thought you said you didn't smoke?" asked Larry as he slowed to a jog and stopped by him, Cipher grinning a little before he took out the cigarette and tossed it away while he wiped his hands on his flight suit.

"Nervous habit. I don't do it a lot." he replied before he joined Larry on the return trip back towards the base briefing room.

"That stuff kills your lungs you know." said Larry with a chuckle before Cipher pointed at the noticeable lump in Larry's cheek and replied back, "Coming from the guy who chews tobacco nearly everyday."

"Bah!" said Larry as he waved away the statement and laughed as the two entered the main building, being greeted by other mercenaries and grounds crew members alike before they walked into the briefing room, the mercenaries joining them on the operation and the Base Commander watching them enter.

Once they sat themselves down at the front of the room, the Commander started up the briefing system and started the briefing with a lighter tone, almost happy, in his voice.

"Preparations to liberate Directus are now complete. I will now brief you on the Ustio 6th Air Division's role in regaining control of the capital. Directus is divided into five administrative wards centering on the River Crescere. Powerful weapons have been placed in each ward, comprising the Belkan army's Ustio-branch headquarters. Their forces received a buff from those who escaped Solis Ortus the day before, and they are willing to fight city block for city block." he started as the capital appeared on screen, four red dots appearing along a winding river marking the location of the Belkan army's concentrations within Directus' five sectors.

"This battle will determine our fate, as the annihilation of all enemy forces will mean liberation for the nation of Ustio. The enemy forces are primarily comprised of ground troops, but we have received information that, while not yet confirmed, there is also a squadron of hi-tech enemy fighters."

"That's gonna be fun for us, eh Buddy?" whispered Larry over to Cipher, who grinned and nod in agreement.

"Your orders are to destroy the Belkan forces and liberate Directus. We can't afford to lose. Dismissed." finished the Base Commander before the room went dark.

Cipher and Larry bumped fists before they ran out of the room first and jogged through the hallway leading out of the main building until they breached the door out into the sun and continued towards their hangar, ready to end this war once and for all.

"Let's get this thing over with and free Ustio!" said Cipher optimistically before he climbed into his F-15C and slipped on his flight helmet while powering on the engines.

They taxied out onto the runway and taking top priority over the other mercenaries, they were allowed to take off first and circle over the base while their comrades took off.

"Who's gonna get the highest kill count today gentlemen?" asked Larry as they formed up and left Valais behind just as Eagle Eye took off and flew up to join their convoy.

"Cipher." they all said at the same time, Larry just laughing out loud while Cipher smirked.

"Well it's true!" he said aloud just as Eagle Eye joined them on their way to Directus.

- Directus, Ustio -

- 017'28'01"N 238'25'51"E -

- May 13th, 1995 1630 hrs -

"Start the operation. Release five sectors under Belkan control." said Eagle Eye as Cipher and Larry lead the aerial charge into Directus airspace from the south while an allied Osean armored division penetrated the city's defenses from the east.

"Cipher, let's do this right. It's time Ustio got its capital back." said Larry as he flew over Cipher's plane, the latter looking up to see the UGBs Larry was carrying barely pass over his plane's body.

He had made sure to have Larry's plane be equipped for ground-attacks while his plane was outfitted with normal AIM-9 Sidewinders and QAAMs for aerial engagements. Ground attack warfare wasn't really his style.

"Roger that, Buddy. You know the deal people, we liberate each sector one by one. Jackson, Rikes, you're with me on aerial attacks. Larry, you lead Greg and Ferguson on the ground attacks." replied Cipher as the first administrative ward of Directus appeared on radar and the target signatures on their HUDs, the two groups of three splitting apart to perform their tasks.

"We've got multiple Flankers and Typhoons. Take 'em out cleanly gentlemen." said Cipher as he locked onto a Belkan Typhoon and fired a single QAAM missile, the high-homing warhead tracking down its prey until it destroyed it, Cipher scoring the first kill of the operation.

"Cipher, we've got tents down here on the outskirts of the city. They're probably full of Belkan supplies. What do you want to do?" asked Larry after he took out an AA gun with a UGB, Cipher only taking a second to think of an answer.

"Leave them be. They're of no importance if there's no one left to use them."

"Roger."

Cipher dodged a missile fired at him from behind and swerved away as a Flanker chased him down, the skilled mercenary only chuckling to himself as he performed the Devil's trap maneuver and took the Belkan pilot down without a scratch on him.

Larry's group was having an easy time with the Belkan ground forces, their fighters being able to outmaneuver the SAM missiles and AA gunfire sent back up at them, and in no time at all, the first sector of Directus was liberated. Cipher and his group downed the last fighter up above and this signaled the Osean armored division to begin its advance on the third sector, the two groups going to meet up and assault the rest of the Belkan forces stationed in the city.

Within the outskirts of the city and the city itself, the denizens of Directus heard the sounds of war and how Belka had lost control of the first ward of the city, and this started to give them hope. A Belkan soldier escorting a group of men into a shelter when all of a sudden one from the group leaped out and socked him in the face, knocking him flat to the ground while alerting the other Belkan soldiers to the sudden attack.

Other Ustians, whether it be men or women, began to take up arms against their oppressors and would swarm the soldiers and steal their firearms to fight back against the Belkans.

"Onto the second sector!" said Cipher as they attacked the Belkans stationed in the second ward of the city, populated main by short and squat buildings, most likely factories, Larry's group being careful with where they aim their UGBs since the enemy ground forces were positioned close by to some of those buildings.

"The tide should turn once their get their capital back, then the war should be over since I heard that Osea's gained back its land along with Sapin." said Larry enthusiastically after wiping out a SAM with a missile.

"What's our air squadron up too? We're getting slaughtered!" shouted a Belkan soldier hysterically, their air squadron currently being decimated by Cipher and his team.

"Aren't there any orders from higher up? Where's the General? Hasn't anyone seen him?" asked another in the same tone of voice.

"_Seems someone knows that they won't be able to win this fight._" thought Cipher with a smirk about the "General" the Belkans were talking about before he spotted a CH-47 Chinook taking off from the main industrial center of the city and proceed to head to the north.

"The Belkan chopper is leaving the battlefront. Looks like they're running scared." said Eagle Eye with somewhat of chuckle.

"We've got MIG-29s!" said one of the mercenaries to Cipher, who whipped his head around and spotted the group of four Fulcrums approaching their position, intent on shooting them down.

"Abandon Area 2! Reposition the battlefront immediately!" shouted a Belkan soldier from within the city he grunted as if someone had beat him over the head with a weapon.

"The Belkans are running! Now for the other sectors!" shouted a civilian through the Belkan's radio, Cipher and Larry becoming shocked as they started to hear church bells ringing throughout the city, their heavenly song the sound of freedom.

"Will you look at that." said Cipher with a smile as he did a flyby over the city and saw the people on the streets cheering and waving their arms up at his plane as he passed by, the crumpled forms of Belkan soldiers littering the streets in some areas as their remaining forces retreated to the third sector.

"Sector 2 is clear, continue on to Sector 3. We've almost won!" urged on Eagle Eye as Cipher and Larry's group regrouped and pressed on to the third district just as the allied Osean tank division broke through the outer edge of Directus and began a charge towards the city itself under a blanket of artillery and gunfire from within the city streets and other defensive positions.

All of a sudden the fire faltered as Ustians, tired and angry of being oppressed for so long, assaulted the Belkan's flanks from all sides with anything they could get their hands on, from brooms to bricks to even the very weapons the Belkans carried.

"Fox 2!" said Cipher as he fired a missile and took out a Belkan Flanker in one swift blow, its flaming carcass striking the ground outside the city and bringing on a roaring cheer from the Ustians who were participating in the liberation of their city as the freedom bells rung unopposed

Larry's fighter swept over the city streets as the missile he fired decimated a Belkan SAM and a platoon of soldiers close by, his team following up with multiple kills on AA units stationed atop some of the buildings and in the city's outskirts. Osean M60 Pattons rolled through the streets, their machine guns and cannons totally wiping out any Belkan force they spotted while soldiers and civilians ran and fought side by side, and soon enough, the Belkan forces were driven out of the third sector and back once more into the fourth sector, which was already starting to face civilian attacks.

"What? We've lost Sector 3?! What the hell is that ringing?!" said a Belkan soldier frantically while one of the Ustian mercenaries flying in Larry's group sighed as he heard the freedom bells ringing throughout the city sectors.

"That sound takes me back."

He quickly dismissed the memories to destroy an APC trying to escape the city, not even caring about the lives inside its metal husk he just incinerated in fire.

"The enemy is attacking without mercy!"

They continued on to the fourth sector and with the same flawless lethality they've exhibited since the start of the operation, Cipher and Larry's groups totally wiped out the Belkan air and ground forces attempting to shoot them down and regain control of the city, but the Osean tanks combined with angry Ustians and skilled mercenary pilots meant that this battle was already lost.

"Belkan ground forces in Sector 4 have been eliminated! The people here are ringing their freedom bells!" said an Osean soldier from within the city as the Ustians cheered while a single man rung the bell in a nearby tower over and over, its heavenly ringing joining the harmonious sound of freedom over the city.

"We no longer have a means of escape! Mass together all troops and regroup!"

"Belkans get out! Get the hell out of our city!"

"Why is that bell ringing? What idiot could be doing that?"

"We're gonna take back the city!"

"This is Eagle Eye. It looks like all sectors have been liberated." reported Eagle Eye after Cipher destroyed the final Belkan fighter stationed in the air while the remaining Belkan soldiers in the city either threw down their arms and surrendered or began to escape the city, the victorious Ustian civilians cheering at their city's liberation.

"The city has fallen to the Allied Forces. Any soldiers left, open up an escape route!"

"We've lost...The Belkan Army...we've been defeated…"

"We got our city back!"

"They've got a reason to fight. This battle's over." said Larry with a grin as he and Cipher rejoined and flew over the city as the Ustian flag replaced the Belkan propaganda and flags that had crowded the city's skyline for so long, the denizens cheering as the two flew over the skyscrapers.

"You said it." replied Cipher as he slowed his airspeed down and waved down to the Ustians below, their cheers growing in intensity.

All of a sudden Eagle Eye interrupted their victory lap with an emergency update just as two enemy units appeared on radar approaching fast.

"Warning! Warning! Enemy reinforcements approaching!"

"What? Now?!" sputtered Larry while Cipher moaned.

"You gotta be kidding me!" he muttered as they picked up their speed and turned towards the vector of the approaching enemy reinforcements.

**- GELB -**

**Belkan Air Force**

**5th Air Division, 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron**

"Two craft approaching at high speed!" informed Ghost Eye as the enemy got closer and closer, Cipher's jaw tensing as he and Larry went to face the Belkan fighters alone.

"Let's take care of them." said Larry eagerly as the Belkan planes appeared on their HUDs, their fighter jets being identified as a jet they've never seen before, something called the SU-37.

"They're flying SU-37 Terminators, one of Belka's newest fighter jets. They're faster than anything we've come across,. Commence attack." ordered Eagle Eye as the SU-37 Terminators sped towards them at full speed.

"Fox 2!" announced Cipher as he fired two QAAMs at the first Terminator, and to his amazement the fighter's agility completely left the missile in the dust and started to go after him.

"These are skilled pilots. Be cautions Altman." said the enemy flight lead as he avoided a missile from Larry, his wingman the one chasing Cipher.

"Roger Gelb 1." he replied.

"These bastards are quick. That doesn't matter though, because I'm the king of these skies!" said Cipher with a grunt as he pulled his signature maneuver yet again and fired two missiles at Gelb 2, barely missing the nose of his Terminator as he quickly dodged the attack.

Cipher quickly got on his tail and began to chase him down, Larry standing toe to toe with Gelb 1 as well. All of a sudden Cipher's missile alert sirens went off and he broke away from Gelb 2 as missiles aimed *backwards on the Terminator were launched at him.

"What the hell?! They can fire missiles backwards?!" sputtered Cipher in shock before he regathered himself and continued the chase, being wary to look out for another volley of missiles fired at him again.

"Fox 2!" said Larry as he fired two missiles at Gelb 1, but the Belkan pilot performed a Pugachev's Cobra maneuver and easily evaded the missiles before attacking Larry head-on, the mercenary growing at his failed attack while dodging the Belkan.

"These guys are good, I'll give 'em that." grunted Cipher with begrudging respect as Gelb 2 dodged his attack again, and at that moment he realized what they had to do to defeat their faster opponents.

They were trained to expect their enemies next move and counter against it, he knew that much about the B.A.F. They were never trained against mercenaries though. Unexpected was their speciality.

"Larry! Merc-Up!" he shouted before he dove away from the chase with Gelb 2, prompting the Belkan to start the chase after him.

"Roger that, Buddy!" replied back Larry as he pressed his attack on Gelb 1, not even letting the Belkan breath without having his Eagle right up in his face.

The Belkan was completely focused on Larry at the moment, not even seeing Cipher coming right up on his tail end with a QAAM ready and waiting to be let loose on its prey. This was what Merc-Up was, and it was a move that Larry and Cipher perform flawlessly. Larry distracts the target and Cipher comes up right behind him and with extreme skill, the two fly nearly right on top of one another, their radar signatures morphing together into one, giving off the impression that there was still only one fighter on the chase.

"Fox 2!" said Larry right on cue as he fired two missiles at Gelb 1.

The Belkan, as expected, effortlessly dodged the missile by quickly banking to the right. What he didn't expect was to see Cipher fly right him, too close to dodge, and fire the QAAM he had armed right into his Terminator, splitting it in half with a glorious ball of fire shooting outward on its destruction.

"Gelb 1 is down! Am I the only one left?" questioned Gelb 1 before Larry and Cipher assaulted the Belkan pilot and hounded him until eventually Cipher scored the final blow and destroyed the Terminator in the middle of a sharp turn that made his plane stall for but a millisecond too long.

"Airspace threat eliminated. Galm Team, mission complete." said Eagle Eye calmly as Cipher let out a sigh of relief, Larry wiping the sweat off his brow while he took off the oxygen mask of his flight helmet an licked his dry lips to try and saturate them.

"We've taken back the city! Belka is no longer in control!" said a Ustian civilian in triumphant victory.

"With those Belkan finally gone, I can reopen my shop. And I'll make sure Directus is decorated to the brim with flowers!' said a female civilian after the first over the thunderous cheering and celebrations occurring throughout the entire city.

"Cipher, you hear those people screaming for freedom? That's where we come in!" said Larry with a smile before he dove down towards the city, the two pilots making yet another flyby over the city's central district, receiving another round of applause in gratitude of the liberation of Directus.

The bells of freedom continued to send out their glorious sound throughout the land, signalling the end of Belkan control and the liberation of the Republic of Ustio, now finally free for the first time since the beginning of the war.

"Directus is free of any threats now. This war's finally over now. Let's head back to base." said Larry as he and Cipher joined up with their allies over the final district of the city and made their way back to Valais Air Force Base.

'On May 13th, 1995...Ustio was finally liberated. The tide of the war was about to change dramatically.'

- Belka's Ustio-branch headquarters has fallen. Directus has been liberated. I just recieved a vintage bottle of Chateau Boloise for the Galm Team. It's a hard to find cabernet. Perfect, I'd say, for a celebrating an occasion such as this.

A/N

_That day our sky fe||, the heavens split to create new skies._

_Weapons of Mass Destruction_

Stonehenge Type-0, Type-1, Type-5

Caliburn

- II

Crin-

Zephir

- II

Fortress -

The Citadel

Goliathan

O.L.D.S


	8. Far from Over

A/N LET THE FREEDOM BELLS RING! Ah I just love that moment when the citizens of Directus fight back to free their city. Badass is what I have to say about that! Now, however...is where Cipher and Larry, who thought the war was going to end with the liberation of Directus, find out the war is not only far from over...it's going to get a whole lot worse. (God bless those at Hoffnung…)

Chapter 7 - Far from Over

_For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either._

'The true nature of the war begins from this point forward. Accounts vary depending on the article and source. Everyone is a hero and a villain, and no one knows who is the victim and who is the aggressor. And what is peace? All questions commonly asked about any war in history. As the battlegrounds move to Belka…"He" is also thrust into the middle of this war. This is also where my interests shift from the war to him.'

- Directus, Ustio -

- May 15th, 1995 1234 hrs -

Cipher and Larry walked side by side in their military uniforms, crisp and clean with their squadron patches and numbers sewn onto the right sleeve of their airman's jacket, as they toured the capital of Ustio. Everywhere they went, the people recognized their numbers as the ones painted on the two Eagles that had flown over their city to drive out the Belkans.

"This place is so lively. I can't even begin to imagine how it was while the Belkans were here." said Larry with a smile as he saw the Ustio flag hung everywhere there was space for it.

"But, aren't you Belkan too?" asked Cipher in a low enough voice to where no one could overhear him.

"Yes, but not like the one's we've been fighting." he replied with a nod before he remembered something.

"You know...I never really asked where you were from Cipher. I don't know your name, so I got to at least know where you're from." he said as he glanced over at Cipher, who thought over the question for a moment before shrugging.

"That is true...oh all right. I'm from Osea." said Cipher casually, Larry narrowing his eyes at him for a second in doubt.

"Is that the truth?"

"More or less. I've lived there once before." said Cipher with a smug grin, Larry rolling his eyes before he chuckled.

"I guess that counts." he said before they walked into a local bar and were instantly greeted by a round of applause from the people inside.

"Please, hold the applause. We don't deserve this much praise, I mean, you all helped out too you know." said Cipher as he waved them down, motioning to the bartender specifically since he had his arm in a sling due to the bullet wound in his shoulder from a scuffle with a Belkan soldier.

"Nah, you two deserve a couple of drinks. It's on the house." the bartender said with a warm smile, Cipher shrugging before they approached the bar and ordered a couple of drinks.

"So, now that this war is over, where do you think we should go?" asked Cipher as he looked at Larry after taking a sip of his drink, his wingman thinking for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't know to be honest."

"I knew I would find you guys here!"

Cipher and Larry turned to see Ferguson, one of the Ustian mercenaries that flew with them during the liberation of Directus, walk into the bar and join them while ordering himself a drink as well.

"What's up?" asked Cipher after taking another sip of beer.

"Nothing much. Glad to see this place so lively now." he replied.

"Yeah, it's a shame we won't be here any longer." said Larry regretfully, Ferguson looking at him with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Well now that Ustio's been liberated, the war's pretty much over. There's nothing else to to gain." he said before he himself lifted the beer bottle he held in his hand to his lips and drank some of it.

"You haven't heard?"

Upon those three words, Cipher and Larry were both struck odd and the two looked at him with their eyebrows raised.

"The Allied Forces are planning an operation that's going into Belka. They say its an inspection for any nuclear weapons Belka might be hiding, but we all know that's its just a ruse to cover up an attack on Belka's southern defense line. This war's far from over." explained Ferguson, Larry's spirits and optimistic nature slowly fading away with Cipher's, the two pilots glancing at each other with worried expressions on their faces.

"What's it called?" asked Larry with a slight tinge of worry in his voice.

"Operation: Hell Bound."

- Valais Air Force Base -

- 1300 hrs -

"I can't believe it. We're invading Belka…." said Larry as he and Cipher walked the outside edge of the runway, contemplating over the operation they had just heard about just thirty minutes prior.

"Yeah, I know. Well, I guess we just keep doing what we do and earn a lot of money while doing it." said Cipher with a grin, the expression falling when Larry scowled at him.

"But what is there to gain? We've regained Ustio and the other lands Belka invaded with their blitzkrieg, shouldn't the war be over?" asked Larry as he threw his arms up into the air as if wanting the world to answer.

"I don't know Larry. There's got to be a legitimate reason as to why the Allied Forces are going to push into Belkan territory. Probably just a scare tactic saying "We can invade your land just like you did to us." and soon enough, Belka will back off and surrender and everything will go back to what it used to be." said Cipher reassuringly, Larry lowering his arms and calming himself down.

"Yeah...you might be right. I just hope this operation really doesn't put us on a path to hell…"


End file.
